Foundation and status

The Agency for audio and audiovisual media services is independent, non-profit regulatory body that has status of legal entity with public competencies.

Responsabilities

According to the Article 6 of the Law on Audio and audiovisual media services which entered into force on January 3rd 2014, the Agency has the following duties and responsibilities:

  • ensures transparency of the work of broadcasters;
  • ensures the protection and development of pluralism of audio and audiovisual media services, encourages and supports the existence of diverse and independent audio and audiovisual media services;
  • takes measures in accordance with the Law in cases where provisions of the Law on audio and audiovisual media services, or where regulations adopted on the basis of the Law and conditions and obligations stipulated in the licenses are violated;
  • ensures the protection of minors;
  • adopts acts derived from the Law on audio and audiovisual media services;
  • ensures protection of interest of citizens in the area of audio and audiovisual media services; determines existence of illicit media concentration;
  • decides on the assignment, extension or revocation of licenses for television or radio broadcasting; takes measures for temporary restriction on transmission and reception of audio and audiovisual media services from other countries on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia;
  • adopts list of events of major importance;
  • encourages media literacy;
  • maintains the registries established by the Law;
  • conducts researches and analysis on specific issues concerning audio and audiovisual media services; performs audience measurement in terms of viewership or listenership of programs, i.e program services of broadcasters in the Republic of Macedonia;
  • prescribes the manner of audience measurement in terms of viewership or listenership of programs, i.e program services of broadcasters in the Republic of Macedonia
  • performs and other duties determinate by the Law on audio and audiovisual media services

The Council

The Council members are persons who are citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, have a University degree, have at least five-year work experience in the relevant field, and have become publicly prominent in the field of communications, journalism, electronic communications, information technologies, culture, economy, law or similar fields relevant to the realisation of the Council competences.
The Members of Council of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services are appointed by the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia upon nominations submitted by authorized nominators. The Council Members may be persons who are citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, have a University degree, have at least five-year work experience in the relevant field, and have become publicly prominent in the field of communications, journalism, electronic communications, information technologies, culture, economy, law or similar fields relevant to the realization of the Council competences. The term of office is 7 years.
The Council is composed of president, vice-president and five members. The Council was constituted at its session held on July 8th 2014.

Composition

Lazo Petrusevski, President of the Council
М.А. Milaim Fetai, Vice President
М.Sc. Alma Mashovikj, Member
Selver Adjini, Member
Metodija Jancevski, MSc., Member
Lazar Trajchev, Member
Zoran Fidanovski, Member

Competencies

  • adopt decision to announce a public competition for awarding license for television or radio broadcasting;
  • adopt decision for awarding, revoking or extending licenses for television or radio broadcasting;
  • adopt decision permitting or prohibiting the changes in the ownership structure of a broadcaster;
  • adopt a decision for annulment of the decision permitting the changes in the ownership structure of the broadcaster;
  • adopt a decision for Initiating an ex officio procedure for determining illegal media concentration;
  • adopt a decision for determining the existence of illegal media concentration;
  • inform the competent copyright authority upon suspicion that infringement to copyrights and related rights occurred;
  • adopt the bylaws arising from this Law;
  • adopts the general operations acts of the Agency
  • adopt the Agency Rules of Procedure;
  • adopt the Annual Balance Sheet of the Agency;
  • approve the Agency Annual Operations Report for the previous year and the Annual Operations
  • Programme for the following year which are part of the Agency Operations Report prescribed in article 8 of this Law;
  • adopt the Annual Plan for Programme monitoring and the Methodology for Programme monitoring; decide on undertaking measures for timely termination of transmission and reception of audio and audiovisual media services from third countries on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia;
  • adopt a decision for defining a list of events of high significance for the public in the Republic of Macedonia;
  • adopt Code of Conduct for the Council members and the employees of the Agency expert service;
  • elects and dismiss the Agency director in accordance with this Law following the procedure defined in the Agency Rules of Procedure;
  • Approves the decisions of the Director of the Agency about the management wit h the Agency’s property, as well as the employments and dismissals of the employees at the expert service of the Agency;
  • monitor the implementation of the Annual Programme for the operations of the Agency through quarterly reports submitted by the Agency director; and
  • Perform other duties in accordance with the Law.

The Agency

The Director is elected via public competition and have a University degree and over five years work experience in the field of communications, journalism, electronic communications, information technologies, culture, economy or law.
Zoran Trajchevski is teh acting Director of the Agency

Director’s competencies:

The director shall organize and manage the operations of the Agency, shall be responsible for the lawful operations of the Agency and shall have the following competencies:

  • represent and act on behalf of the Agency;
  • sign contracts on behalf of the Agency;
  • propose general operations acts of the Agency
  • propose the Agency Rules of Procedure, the Annual Operations Report and the Annual Programme for the operations of the Agency, which are part of the Agency Operations Report prescribed in article 8 of this Law;
  • propose the Annual Plan for Programme monitoring and the Methodology for Programme monitoring;
  • adopts resolution on issues under the competence of the Agency;
  • Issues Confirmations for registration stipulated with this Law undertake measures in accordance with this Law in cases of violation of the provisions of this Law or the regulations adopted thereof, and the conditions and obligations arising from licenses;
  • propose measures for timely termination of transmission and reception of audio and audiovisual media services from third countries on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia;
  • propose decisions within the Council competencies;
  • propose bylaws within the Council competencies;
  • propose a list of events of high significance for the public in the Republic of Macedonia;
  • grant authorisations to other persons within the scope of his/her competencies;
  • decide on employments and assignments within the Agency expert service; and
  • perform other activities referred to in this Law and the Agency Rules of Procedure.

Liens

Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services of the Republic of  North Macedonia

Palata “Panko Brashnarov”,Ul. “Makedonija” 38, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia

Phone: + 389 (0)2 3103447
Fax: +389 (0)2 3103401

Website : www.avmu.mk